Last month, less than 2% of the top stories on Apple News came from right-leaning news outlets, which, while a slight improvement from 0% the previous month, was seen by a conservative watchdog as merely “damage control” amid concerns over possible federal scrutiny for media bias.
Reports revealed that Apple faced criticism when a Media Research Center study earlier this year showed that its widely used news app lacked any conservative articles among its featured stories.
On February 11, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a formal letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, expressing concern that Apple might be breaching federal consumer protection laws due to possibly “unfair or deceptive acts.” On February 12, Apple News finally included an article from a conservative source after a 100-day absence; it discussed a Fox News piece related to the death of actor James Van Der Beek.
According to analysis by MRC, of 560 stories tracked in February, only eight, or 1.4%, came from conservative outlets. Conversely, 75%—about 400 articles—were from left-wing organizations, while the remaining 152 were from centrist or unbiased sources like small local papers.
David Bozell, the MRC Chairman, commented, “Two percent is not progress. It’s damage control,” arguing that this minimal adjustment suggests a deep-seated bias in the media that needs addressing.
Bozell further stated that Apple News should not need public pressure to present diverse viewpoints, emphasizing that the real issue is the fairness of one of the most powerful information curators in the country.
Apple has not commented on the MRC’s findings. The Watchdog’s researchers utilized assessments from AllSides, a nonpartisan group with a panel of diverse experts trained to identify media bias.
Julie Mastlin from AllSides commented that Apple needs to implement significant changes to mitigate news polarization and better reflect the breadth of American perspectives.
President Trump also took note of Apple News’ bias issues, sharing information related to the findings on his Truth Social account.
Critics argue that Apple News holds significant influence due to being pre-installed on millions of devices, including iPhones, and that Apple promotes it as the leading news app in the U.S.
Spearheading Apple’s editorial team since 2017 is Lauren Kahn, formerly of New York Magazine, who has become a significant influence in media, according to a 2018 article in the Times.
Another study by AllSides noted that during a two-week observation period last October, Apple’s editorial team displayed no articles from conservative sources in the Top News section.
The MRC tracked the top 20 stories on Apple News daily during February, with the feed comprising articles selected by an editorial team as well as those surfaced through algorithms.
Throughout February, Apple News highlighted 57 articles from the Associated Press, 44 from the Washington Post, and 38 from NBC News—all considered left-leaning. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, viewed as centrist, contributed 46 and 40 articles, respectively.
Seven of the eight articles from right-leaning sources were from Fox News, covering topics like NASA delays and Bill Clinton’s testimony regarding the Epstein case. The remaining article was from the Telegraph about Prince Andrew’s arrest.
In his letter to Apple, Ferguson requested a thorough review of the Terms of Service to ensure that the curation of articles aligns with consumer expectations and called for prompt corrective measures as needed.
Senator Marsha Blackburn also sought answers from Cook on whether Apple had “systematically suppressed” conservative viewpoints, stressing that Americans rely on Apple News for diverse perspectives across the political landscape.
